Home > Out of the Cage! > April 2005 > Volunteer Spotlight: Deborah Chieglis Transforms Loss into Shelter Animals' Gain

Volunteer Spotlight

Deborah Chieglis Transforms Loss into Shelter Animals' Gain

Losing a beloved companion animal is an extraordinarily difficult experience. But for Deborah Chieglis, the loss of Taj, her gorgeous black Siamese mix who had shared her life for almost 19 years until cancer intervened last October, gave her a reason to step outside of herself and share her caring with other animals.

"After my geezer meezer passed away, I was really grieving," remembers Deborah. "I felt like I'd lost my best friend, and I needed to direct some of my energies away from that grief. Volunteering at the 110th street AC&C shelter was a positive way for me to help animals in transition, meet new people, get out of a 'blue funk,' and help to teach potential adopters how important a pet can be in their lives."

Having also been downsized from her job with a publishing company gave Deborah the time, and an additional reason, to commit time to volunteering. After fostering three cats until they were ready for adoption, she took home one of the shelter's kittens who needed socialization. Subsequently, Pat Anderson, the shelter's New Hope Coordinator, asked Deborah if she would be interested in fostering a cat who came in with a broken leg. Pat explained that before the surgery could be scheduled, she needed to secure a foster situation for recovery. Deborah agreed to take on the foster assignment, and coordinate the home- and after-care. "That was my introduction to the Mayor's Alliance, Jane Hoffman, and the Picasso Veterinary Fund," explains Deborah.

One of Deborah's foster cats is Miss Linden, a lovely but slightly disheveled three-year-old longhaired Calico who currently is recovering from leg surgery, as well as a cold she contracted while at the shelter. "I'm making sure that she has a safe, warm, and recuperative environment," says Deborah. "I'm also doing some physical therapy for the leg."

In addition to providing foster care for cats, Deborah creates cage comforters for the cats, kittens, and small dogs at the Manhattan shelter. The comforters are 12-by-17-inch cage pads that she cuts and sews from old comforters, quilts, and blankets that she buys from the Salvation Army or acquires from personal donations. "They're nicely padded and, as soon as I put them into the cages at the shelter, the cats, kittens, pups, and dogs settle right into them," she says. The comforters provide a bit of home-like comfort and, when the pets are adopted, the comforters go home with them to ease their transition into their new environment. (If you'd like to read more about the cage comforters, visit the volunteer section of the AC&C web site. Deborah says that making the comforters is "good therapy for me."

While she continues to investigate career opportunities in publishing advertising sales, her career for many years, Deborah is doing freelance marketing for a former financial services client. Her schedule provides her with the flexibility to commit time to her volunteer work. A resident of Manhattan's East Side since 1992, she has an M.F.A. from Syracuse University and a B.A. from University of Hartford.

"Cats and dogs have always been in my life," explains Deborah. When her father, an Air Force dad, was transferred from Europe, her mother had their parakeet and poodle shipped to the U.S. from Europe because she couldn't bear to leave them behind. "My family has had some combination of cats and dogs forever," says Deborah. "My mom has rescued stray cats from her neighborhood, and recently adopted another cat through Animal Aid of Cortland (NY), a local rescue organization. She now has three cats."

Deborah says she's still looking for her "forever" cat. "After losing my 19-year-old meezer, I guess I'm slow to commit," she explains. "Pets are much like boyfriends — you need to find the right combination of personality, toilet habits, and temperament."

What qualities are important to being an effective volunteer? According to Deborah, patience is the greatest virtue. "The animals are coming from all manners of environments — some good, some really horrific — and it can take time and understanding to get through to them. I am amazed sometimes at how trusting they are, even if their previous experiences with humans have been bad. I believe there is a lesson in there somewhere!" she says.

She also believes in the adage: a little bit can go a long way. "Even if you have only a little bit of time, you can make a difference in an animal's life," she says. "And it does wonders for your humility when you clean up after a puppy's innocent accident or wipe the nose of a cat who has a bad upper respiratory infection. Hearing their purring or seeing their tails wag is thanks enough!"

Deborah understands the importance of donating time to volunteering, but she also recognizes other important ways of giving. For example, she encourages others to donate materials (sheets, comforters, shredded paper, or office equipment) and money to help the animals. She says she's thrilled that the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals exists, and that there's hope for special needs animals who need special attention, surgery, or rehabilitation. "Who said you can judge a society by how they treat their animals?" she says? "I'm with them."

For information about volunteering with the Mayor's Alliance or to complete a volunteer application online, click here. To find out about volunteer opportunities with any of the Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs), click here and select from the list of APOs.